Overview

As small estates go, the Focus is often overlooked in favour of more stylish models. Which is a real shame as it makes a great car for load lugging thanks to a excellent boot space and a wide, long load area. Of course being a Ford it is also great to drive and loses none of the handling prowess of the Focus hatchback, with the same responsive steering and good body control.

With supple suspension it also rides well, even with a full load on board and there’s decent rear passenger space too. A great range of engines is available, our pick being the excellent TDCi units, which offer a blend of punchy performance and impressive fuel economy. The model was facelifted in January 2008 with sharper looks and improved interior quality while a low emissions ECOnetic version was also available for the first time.

In 2009 the eco version was improved to lowering emissions and averaging 70mpg.